Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss whether you think Olsen handled the subject matter effectively and sensitively or not, and how that approach affected your reading experience.

2. How did this book change your perception of survivors or of serial killers?

3. What makes this true crime narrative compelling when compared with a fictional crime story?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Share your reflections on whichever part of Shasta’s story resonated with you the most and why.

2. Does Shasta’s story of defying the odds and surviving despite everything she went through inspire you to change an aspect of your life? What would you want to do differently?

3. Shasta learns that forgiveness of others is for herself, not for the person she forgives. Have you ever had to forgive someone who you felt did not deserve forgiveness? Did doing so help you heal?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How might religious trauma have influenced Jet’s worldview and the self-invented logic he would use to justify his crimes?

2. In what ways are both Shasta’s and Jet’s experiences examples of the failures of the criminal justice system? How do these failures impact the greater society and individuals?

3. Why do people struggle to accept the truth of Shasta’s story? How does this denial reflect a wider issue of failing to trust survivors of violent crimes?

4. Why is therapy such a failure for Shasta at the Vista treatment center, and how do those failures demonstrate the need for improvements in mental health treatment?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Why might the author have chosen to reveal Jet’s crimes gradually throughout the book instead of all at once?

2. How does Shasta’s promise to her brother define her life both during and after the campsite?

3. How does Olsen use narrative pacing to present the psychological process Shasta undergoes that leads her to pity and even sympathize with Jet? How does this technique reflect both Jet’s manipulation and Shasta’s genuinely caring nature?

4. What stylistic devices are used to communicate Shasta’s voice and emotion through Olsen’s narration? Are they effective in doing so?

5. Why are the moments of innocence at the camp so important to Shasta, and how does including them in the narrative affect the tone of the account?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you could talk to Shasta, what would you say to her or ask her?

2. Create a spirit animal for Shasta or whichever figure had the greatest emotional impact for you. Explain your choice.

3. How can Shasta’s story inspire real world activism, and what can you do to help support survivors of abuse?

4. What are your hopes for Shasta moving forward with her life and following the sharing of her story with the world?

5. If you were Shasta, what would you have done differently? What would you have done the same?